Jogging

Getting Chicked

When you get passed by a girl, it's called "Getting Chicked" - and it's happening more often for good reason.

Getting Chicked

By Edmund Arellano

It's no secret that numbers in the running community is decreasing slowly. Races are seeing less runners, and registrations in OCR (obstacle course races) are being hit the hardest. Despite the statistics, women still dominate the running industry. In fact, according to a 2015 study by Running in the USA, 9.7 million finishers in all running events were females, or approximately 57% of all finishers. 7 million men crossed the line. With statistics like these, it's easy to see why there's a good chance of men getting passed by girls.

Don't be a sore loser.

I'm just going to put this out there for all the men in the running community - there are women who can run faster than you, and they may even live under your roof. While the number of joggers altogether is decreasing, the gender gap remains the same. In organized races, more women are crossing the finish line than men.

What's the reason, and when did this shift occur? Men have been running marathons since the first official olympics in 1896. Women started running marathons officially in 1972 when the Boston Marathon opened it to all female athletes (although Kathrine Switzer snuck her way to the NYC Marathon using her initials on her registration in 1967). One theory behind this shift has to do with the cultural and social changes in our country. More women are being seen as independent individuals with a strive towards recognition.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when the shift occured, but according to a 1996 New York Times article, women's interest in running increased when olympic committee members opened the marathon to women during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. And the increase hasn't stopped.

What about strength?

Physiologically speaking, men tend to be stronger and faster than women. The size of the average man's heart is 20-25% larger than a female, particularly in the left ventricle, which pumps more oxygenated blood around the body and into the muscles.

There are other anatomical differences, including body mass, but the point of this is to consider the mental and psychological fortitude women have undertaken to dominate an industry despite their physiological set-backs. They simply won't give up, and in a gender-equal nation where women and men are given equal rights, we would be remissed if we did not acknowledge their successes.

A Proud Moment Indeed.

Getting chicked should be a proud moment, maybe even an eye-opening moment that identifies a disparity in your own health and stamina. It's happening more often, and in a society like ours, why shouldn't it? So, the next time a lady passes you on a run, acknowledge it, be proud of it, and don't give up.